Marking a milestone for CMA CGM, yesterday saw the start of a new era for the line of ship-to-containership Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering.
The operation was undertaken in Asia by CMA CGM and FueLNG, a joint venture between Keppel Offshore & Marine and Shell Eastern Petroleum, and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
The containership, CMA CGM Scandola, was fuelled with 7 100m3 of LNG from FueLNG Bellina, Singapore’s first LNG bunkering vessel.
CMA CGM Scandola is the first of six new 15 000-TEU LNG-powered containerships which CMA CGM Group has lined up to be bunkered in Singapore this year. These ships will be deployed on the line’s MEX 1 service between Asia and the Mediterranean.
It is also the first vessel in Asia to conduct simultaneous container loading and discharging operations alongside LNG bunkering operations, shortening port stay time. She will set sail from Singapore with over 14 800 TEUs, comprising household goods, electronic items, machinery and personal protection equipment for the Mediterranean.
This is also the first ship-to-ship operation for FueLNG Bellina. Designed and built by Keppel O&M, the 7 500m3 FueLNG Bellina provides more options for shipowners and operators to bunker LNG in Singapore. It aims to provide a total of about 30 to 50 ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operations in 2021, extending its track record of over 300 truck-to-ship LNG bunkering operations so far.
Stephane Courquin, chief executive officer of CMA CGM Asia Pacific, said the technology was one of the first steps towards achieving Group’s ambitious 2050 objective of carbon neutrality.
